Facebook data harvesting may have affected tens of millions more users than previously revealed according to company executives, and the firm intends to introduce new measures to prevent the misuse of data.

Whistleblower Christopher Wylie appeared before MP’s on March 27th and explained how far this scandal reaches into the political establishment. A culture of deceit and subterfuge, mixed with a plain disregard for users’ privacy rights.

Allegations that Brexit, the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum and the US Elections in 2016 may have been influenced all have pundits, politicians and the public in a state of hysteria and confusion. How could this happen? Could our beloved social media platforms really allow private enterprise to misuse user data to manipulate voting behaviours?

Political implications aside, the real talking point here should be how this affects users; the life blood of any social network, and based on Facebook’s numbers, nearly 100 million of us have been affected.

Facebook Data Harvesting Affected Millions Worldwide

New estimates now reveal that anywhere up to 87 million Facebook users could have been affected by this culture of data harvesting.

In a blog post by Facebook’s Chief Technology Officer, Mike Schroepfer, he claims: “In total, we believe the Facebook information of up to 87 million people — mostly in the US — may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.”

This may have massive implications for how Facebook users view their go-to social media platform. Although the majority of this is taken up by US Facebook users, it is believed that just under 1.1 million are UK-based. In addition to the UK, Facebook believes that hundreds of thousands were affected in Australia, Canada and Mexico.

In response to this, Schroepfer claims that the social media giant will introduce new measures to ensure a safe user environment and prevent further misuse of their platform, with Schroepfer stating:

“Today, we want to update you on the changes we’re making to better protect your Facebook information.

“We expect to make more changes over the coming months — and will keep you updated on our progress”

Among these plans comes changes to Data Providers and Partner Categories. Facebook intends to shut down Partner Categories; a product that allows third-party data providers to offer their targeting directly on Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg has also reacted by announcing that Facebook will shut down users’ ability to abuse the search box facility.

This facility allowed malicious users to abuse the search box function by typing in email addresses or contact numbers. Often these details had been obtained from elsewhere, and as such users were able to build a solid profile of others through cross-referencing their data, and that found on Facebook.

Alarmingly, Zuckerberg said: “”It is reasonable to expect that if you had that [default] setting turned on, that in the last several years someone has probably accessed your public information in this way.”

Cambridge Analytica Disputes the Figures

Cambridge Analytica disputed Facebook’s claim of 87 million during Zuckerberg’s press conference, tweeting that it had only obtained the data of 30 million users, not the figure stated by the Facebook CEO. Furthermore, it once again insisted that it has deleted all data.

https://twitter.com/CamAnalytica/status/981624928838537216

Cambridge Analytica’s claims that they deleted all data have been disputed, however. Channel 4 News revealed on March 28th that the company still hadn’t deleted all the data in question, and that some of it was still circulating; in whose hands is another question entirely.

Since the press conference, Jon Snow has publicly called out Facebook and Zuckerberg, stating in a tweet that in the open session yesterday “not one question was permitted from Channel 4 News” and that Facebook have “still failed to answer serious and urgent questions” about the way they do business.

Dear Mr Zuckerberg in Facebook's open session today not one question was permitted from channel 4 News..you and Facebook have still failed to answer serious and urgent questions about the way you do business..In case you missed imy letter to you Please read it and respond: https://t.co/VbN2KWlRXO

— Jon Snow (@jonsnowC4) April 4, 2018

Mark Zuckerberg refused to appear before a committee of MP’s, however will testify before the US House Commerce Committee on April 11th regarding the company’s use and protection of user data.